World Cup 2026 June 29 preview: Brazil and Germany enter knockouts
Shafaq News
Brazil face Japan and Germany meet Paraguay on Monday, June 29 Baghdad time, with two former World Cup champions entering the Round of 32 under pressure to turn group-stage progress into a deeper knockout run.
Brazil play Japan at 20:00 at Houston Stadium, while Germany face Paraguay at 23:30 at Boston Stadium in Foxborough. Both matches are single-elimination ties, with the winners advancing to the Round of 16.
Brazil vs Japan
Brazil enter the World Cup Round of 32 against Japan as Group C winners, carrying the weight of history, expectation, and a recent warning from the same opponent. The five-time world champions opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Morocco, then beat Haiti 3-0 and Scotland 3-0 to finish top of Group C on seven points. The Scotland win gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side their clearest performance of the tournament so far, with Vinicius Junior scoring twice and Matheus Cunha also on target.
Brazil’s attack has grown sharper as the tournament has progressed. Vinicius has become the main outlet, Neymar’s return gives Ancelotti another option, and the team have looked more controlled after an uneven qualifying cycle and a cautious opening match.
The fixture also carries recent history. Japan beat Brazil 3-2 in a friendly in October 2025, their first win over the Selecao in 14 meetings. That result came early in Ancelotti’s Brazil tenure and remains a reminder that Japan can punish Brazil if the match becomes open and transitional.
Meanwhile, Japan reached the Round of 32 as Group F runners-up behind the Netherlands. Hajime Moriyasu’s side drew 2-2 with the Netherlands, beat Tunisia 4-0, then drew 1-1 with Sweden to finish on five points.
Japan have become regulars in the knockout stage, but the next step remains unresolved. They reached the first knockout round in 2002, 2010, 2018, and 2022, but failed to progress beyond it each time.
The winner advances to the Round of 16 against either Ivory Coast or Norway.
Germany vs Paraguay
Germany face Paraguay in Foxborough, with Julian Nagelsmann’s side favored but still searching for a complete performance.
The four-time world champions won Group E, but their group-stage path was uneven. Germany opened with a 7-1 win over Curacao, beat Ivory Coast 2-1, then lost 2-1 to Ecuador in their final match.
That defeat ended Germany’s 11-match winning run and revived familiar concerns. After group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022, Germany have reached the knockouts again, but the standard is higher than mere survival.
Nagelsmann’s biggest issue is whether his major attacking names can take control. Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, and Kai Havertz have yet to dominate the tournament together, while Deniz Undav has made a stronger scoring impact from the bench.
Paraguay reached the Round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams from Group D. Gustavo Alfaro’s side began with a 4-1 defeat to the United States, recovered with a 1-0 win over Turkiye, and drew 0-0 with Australia to finish on four points. They returned to the World Cup after missing the tournament since 2010, when they reached the quarterfinals for the first time in their history.
The winner advances to the Round of 16 against either France or Sweden.
